Ahead of facing defending champions Australia in the T20 Women’s World Cup in Sharjah, India opener Shafali Verma said they will aim to do well and back their strength. India have won against arch-rivals Pakistan and Asian champions Sri Lanka in Group A after suffering a 58-run defeat against New Zealand in their opening match. Shafali highlighted the importance of quick singles on large UAE grounds, adding that Smriti Mandhana’s dominance against spinners is a positive sign for the team. “Yes, we have a good team right now and that’s because we don’t just go in predetermined. Whoever looks in good touch on that particular day, we just try to rotate the strike and let them play as many deliveries as possible. And yeah, she’s (Smriti Mandhana) hitting the spinners quite well, so that’s a positive sign,” the opener told Star Sports.
“And we just try to give a good start to the team which in turn produces a good innings and ultimately we are able to put a good score on the board. So our aim is just to do well for our team and back our strength,” she added.
Shafali also spoke on the playing conditions in UAE, saying, “I think we’re used to the conditions here, maybe because of that, we are able to run well between the wickets. But we just try to take the first run fast because the ground here is massive, it’s about 70 meters if I’m not wrong. So we try to take the first run fast. It’s very difficult to hit a six. But are looking forward to taking quick singles.”
Australian players Tahlia McGrath, Alyssa Healy, Ellyse Perry, and Beth Mooney also discussed the intense rivalry, praising India’s talent and particularly recognising Mandhana as a key threat.
Tahlia said, “It’s always fun playing for India. The crowd is always double when you play them. I’m pretty sure every single game we play against them comes down to the last over. It’s always a hard-fought battle. It’s always swings in momentum in the game. We’re going to have to be wary of them. Two world-class teams going head-to-head is always going to produce a really good fixture for fans.”
Ellyse added, “India are a phenomenally talented and skilful side and we know whenever we play each other that it’s going to be super tough. It’s been a pleasure to kind of develop that rivalry with India.”
“It’s always a big match. I think it’s the last-round game in our pool, which is probably going to be high-pressure stakes yet again. They’ve got a lot of match winners. I can’t go past probably Smriti Mandana at the top of the order. We know how hard they are to beat and hard to play against, especially on the biggest stage,” Healy said.
Beth Mooney said, “I think Smriti is just a classy player. When people watch her bat, they probably say, you know, she’s really nice to watch.”
The encounter will be crucial for India to secure a berth into the semis. Currently, Australia are leading Group A with four points while India are placed second with the same points due to a poor net run rate. A win against Australia will only confirm two points for India while New Zealand and Pakistan still have two matches to play.
Australia will take on Pakistan in Dubai on Friday while New Zealand will face Sri Lanka on Saturday at the same venue. The blockbuster clash between India and Australia will be played in Sharjah on Sunday.
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